Recently, a senior manager of a European engineering company stated his organisation has a "huge and dire need for skilled people" and "could not recruit the talent it needed from the developed world".

You don't need to look far to find other employers who have their own recruitment woes. James Dyson, he of fancy vacuum cleaner and funky hand-dryer fame, has also struggled to recruitat his Wiltshire-based firm and has often spoken out about Britain's lack of engineering graduates.

With their skills in such high demand, it isn't too surprising that existing engineering students say they feel pretty good about their prospects after graduation. More than nine out of 10 students are confident about their career prospects when they finish studying, a recent survey revealed

There are fears, however, that some of the UK's engineering talent could be lured away by opportunities in the US and emerging economies such as India and China. Which is not going to help the recruiters mentioned above, that's for sure.

So, what does all this mean if you're considering a career in engineering? If you are one of these coveted engineering students, what skills are employers expecting and what types of opportunities are there in the UK right now? Addressing these questions and more will be a panel of engineers and industry experts. Join them on 15 June between 1pm and 4pm - advance questions welcome below.

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Our panel:

Claire Donovan is the manager of policy for Semta, the sector skills council for science, engineering and manufacturing technologies

Claire works with employers to represent their views to the government on a range of skills-related issues, including apprenticeships, funding, the image of the sector and retraining.

Carol Frost is currently Head of HR for Centrica Energy's Power Business Unit, which includes renewables, eight gas-fired power stations, 20% of British energy and a business development team

Carol joined Centrica in January 2010.

We'll also be joined by two representatives of the UKRC. Pollyanna Dawber is project coordinator (marketing, events and sponsorship) and Rukhsana Din is a project manager

The UKRC is the UK's lead organisation for the provision of advice, services and policy consultation regarding the under-representation of women in science, engineering, technology and the built environment.

Jenny Young is a chartered engineer with more 20 years industrial experience

Professor Taylor currently holds the DONG Energy Chair in Renewable Energy. He has significant industrial experience as an electrical engineer.

Catherine Teague is careers manager for EngineeringUK, a not-for-profit organisation which promotes engineering and technology

Catherine develops a range of careers resources and materials to support the organisation's various programmes and provides advice to young people, ranging from specific questions about qualifications, work experience and apprenticeships to broader advice about the industry.